Storage battery



July 9, 1935. 1 H. KITTREDGE STORAGE BATTERY Filed May 15, 193:5

/ l I f Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES amuser;V

PATE oi-FICE 2 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in storage batteries, particularly of the portable type, adapted for use in automotive vehicles and the like where batteries are subject to vibration, jolts, etc., and for other uses where the battery is required to deliver a heavy current.

An important feature of my invention is the simplifying of the construction of the inner cell connector plates and at the same time increasing the capacity of the battery for delivering heavier currents. cell connectors or plate connectors being arranged to serve as active plates as well as conductors from cell to cell. These connector plates cover the full side surface of the plate groups andare active plates in themselves so that the flow of current is diagonally from every part of the plate group surfaces thereby eliminating expansion of plate grids which is caused by lack of current carrying capacity in the usual type of storage battery.

Another feature of my invention is the forming of the connector element as an integral piece so that burning of intermediate connections outside of the battery is avoided thereby eliminating the possibility of poor connections. In a three cell storage battery four plate group connectors are burned to the two intermediate plate and connector elements thereby eliminating four post connectors and two strap top connectors.

A further feature of my invention resides in the prevention oi seepage of electrolyte between cells in that the full surface of the battery case wall is covered with a sealing compound and the connector and plate element is pressed over the wall while the ysealing compound is hot so that it will be held firmly in place thereby assuring the prevention of seepage because of the large surface which is sealed. The connector elements being plates themselves it is unnecessary to increase the size of the battery for the same number of plates per cell as in the usual storage batteries.

Another feature of the invention is the arrangement of the two post cable terminals at one side of the battery and the inspection openings and vent plugs on the opposite side thereof which is not only eiective in eliminating corrosion at the terminals to a Very great extent caused by said spray from vent plugs that are usually quite close to these posts but also saves breakage of the vents and covers which frequently occurs while working on the cable lug securing nuts and bolts.

Further features, objects and advantages will appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like This is accomplished by the (Cl. 13B-134) characters of reference denote similar parts in the various figures.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a storage battery in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on linel 2-2 of Fig. 1,;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of my battery with cover members removed;

Fig. lfl is a fragmentary detail perspective view partly in section showing a connector between cells of the battery.

Referring to the drawing, a storage battery in accordance with this invention includes a case- III shown with three cells provided by two intermediate walls Il, the top edges l2 of which may be slightly below the top of the outer Walls of case Iii. The case is thus divided into three cells I3, I2 and |15 arranged in series for a usual t volt battery, but the case may of course be formed with but two cells for a four volt battery or more than three cells for a higher voltage battery.

Each cell I3, Ill and I5 encases two plate groups, a positive group IIS and a negative group II with the individual plates of one group interposed between the plates of the other group in the same cell and spaced by separators I8 which are susceptible to the seepage of electrolyte and prevent contacting of the plates. As shown in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3, plates of the positive group IE in cell I3 are connected through a plate group connector I9 to a terminal post 2II, and in cell I5 the plates of the negative group III are similarly connected through a plate connector 2l to a terminal post 22. As best seen in Fig. 1, these two terminal posts 2i] and 22 are the only external connecting members of the battery and they are arranged at one side thereof.

In order to connect the other groups of plates, intermediate connecting members 23 and 22 comprising connectors designated by these numerals are provided which extend over the top edges I2 of the cell Walls II. Connecting member 23 extends as a negative plate 25 and a positive plate 26 in cells I3 and It, respectively, and connecting member 2t provides similar negative and positive plates in cells It and I5, respectively. In cell I3 a plate connector 2l is burned to connecting member 23 and this connector 2l carries the negative group of plates Il; in cell I5 a plate connector 23 is similarly secured to connecting member 2li that carries the positive group of plates I6 in that cell. In the intermediate cell it plate connector 29 is secured to the positive plate 2li of connecting member 23 and carries the positive group of plates I6 while a plate connector 30 burned to connecting member 24 carries the negative lgroup of plates Il. A

In positioning connecting members 23 and 24 in the battery case I0 the intermediate walls Il thereof are each previously covered with a hot sealing compound 3| and these connector plates are pressed ov'er the same so that they are held firmly in place and prevent seepage of electrolyte between cells.

As shown these connector and plate members 23 and 24 are of substantially uniform thickness and substantially cover the entire intermediate walls Il of the battery case. Over the plate groups and intermediate connecting members cover members 32 are positioned and the cells arefurther sealed by sealing compound around the edges of and between these covermembers so that the battery cells are entirely encased with the exception of the terminal posts 20 and 22 as -provided for by apertures in the corresponding cover members.

Each-of the cover members 32 has an inspection and vent opening 33 in an end opposite from the end of the terminal posts so that they will be adjacent the opposite side of the battery from these terminal posts. 'I'hese openings are closed in the usual manner by means of vented closure members but owing to their position remote from the terminal posts they are not in the way to be damaged by tools operating on nuts and bolts of terminal lugs and the corrosion oi the battery terminals is eliminated to a very great extent.

I claim:

1. In a storage battery having a casing and dividing walls for forming a plurality of cells, a series of alternate positive and negative plates positioned in each cell, an element comprising a U-shaped sheet Ilttingpver the top and sides of one o1' the walls and extending substantially the entire width of the cell, and a strap on each side of the U-shaped sheet rigidly connected thereto and connected to alternate plates of the cell in which it extends, said depending sides of the U-shaped sheets themselves forming one ot the plates in the adjacent cells respectively.

2. In a lstorage battery having a casing and dividing walls for forming a plurality -of cells, a series of alternate positive and negative plates positioned in each cell, an element comprising a U-shaped sheet fitting over the top and sides of one of the walls and extending substantially the `entire width of the cell, a strap on each side of the U-shaped sheet rigidly connected thereto and connected to alternate plates of the cell in which it extends, said depending sides of the U-shaped sheets themselves forming one of the plates in the adjacent cells respectively,V and a hardened compound between the faces of the walls and the adjacentfaces of the sheets and in which said element is set.-

LEE H. KITTREDGE. 

